Student Accommodation 20 Cheap Ways To Decorate Your Room

A string of fairy lights is essential for any student looking to create a snug bedroom worthy of Pinterest. These can be draped around a room and are also perfect for holding up photographs from home with pegs.

You can never have too many trinkets! Got a fave teddy bear from home? Pack him up and bring him to uni. When you get home after a day of lectures, you’ll wanna collapse on your bed and see your #1 pal.

Washi Tape is a magical Japanese masking tape that is completely removable and reusable (so don’t worry about your deposit!) Use it for making photo frames, crafting (more) removable wallpaper and, our personal favourite, using it to create imaginative pineapple-themed wall art..

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If you want to take it one step further, try adding some warm colours to your room. Soft reds and auburn colours will always make you feel relaxed, so bear that in mind when you’re thinking of your next colour scheme.

If you have an open wardrobe with a visible hanging rail, things can look messy really easily if you use a load of mismatched hangers. Instead, try buying a set of cheap hangers and then customising them so they match your room. Add sequins, cover them with fabric or spray paint them gold for a luxurious touch…

It’s super-easy to personalise your room with your fave photos. It might sound simple, but if you just print off your pics (there’s no need to buy frames!) and put them on your wall in a pattern you love, your room will instantly feel warm, welcoming, and, most importantly, like your own!

So, here are ten of the cheapest ways to spruce up your university bedroom:

Why not spruce up the place with a few lovely plants? Mini bonsai trees, indoor flowers, herbs, and even chilli plants can all be bought on the cheap and they’ll brighten up your day no end! Every day, you’ll be able to come home and see your new plants growing and you can really experiment with the colours because there are so many different types of flowers you can buy.

An injection of colour of this kind will help make your room feel homely, cosy, plus a little nicer on the toes than the usual university cardboard-like carpet.

If you want to hang something heavy and Washi Tape just won’t cut it, you can invest in some Command Hooks. These removable wall mounts come in a range of sizes, so you can hang up everything from your favourite artwork to your winter coat without leaving a trace behind on the wall when you leave.

However you choose to decorate your room, remember it’s yours (for the year!) so you should be bold and put your own stamp on it. If you put your personality into your room, you’ll find it easy to relax and enjoy yourself in there. Check out all of the amazing student rooms we’ve got ready and waiting for you to decorate next year!

Make your university room Instagram-worthy without blowing your student budget.

Well, a doorstop leaves your room open for flatmate visits, especially important during those early weeks when you want to be seen as approachable and eager to make new friends.

Lizzi Hart is a linguistics graduate from the University of Sussex and marketing assistant at the Graduate Recruitment Bureau. She also hates cats

Decorating Your Student Room on a Budget Published on October 20, 2017 by The Student Housing Company

If your bed is looking a little dull, you can design your own headboard to add a touch of personality. All you need to do is head to the nearest hardware shop to pick up a decent-sized plank of wood to decorate with lights, fabric or anything you fancy.

Read more 23 easy meals and recipes for students that cost less than a pint to 5 ways students can get free stuff at university The 13 types of student flatmates, and how to deal with them Top 10 ways to reduce your university debt this year

If you’ve already bitten the bullet and got some twinkly lights, use them again as a cute way to hang photos. All you need are some pegs, clips, or even just some sticky tape.

Need to be able to quickly map out your thoughts, but don’t want to waste paper? Well, a whiteboard of some kind would be perfect, especially when you remember something you need to do, but it’s 4.13am.

Same goes for any little keepsakes you’ve picked up from your hols, any gifts from your friends, or anything else that’s special to you – it should all be on display on your desk or hanging on your walls.

Yes, you may only be there for a year (or less), but as you’ll be studying (a.k.a. sleeping) and spending a lot of time within those four walls, you might as well make them feel as homely as you can.

This is the best invention since the Internet (not an overstatement), and this way of wall mounting leaves zero residue – perfect for swerving heavy deposit reductions on your student house.

An easy way to get a unique, personalised rug is to paint one. There are lots of cheap rugs out there in thrift stores and other secondhand shops for you to use, but you’ll get the best results if you use one with a low pile. To find out how to do it, check out this tutorial.

First of all, guys can have lights too; they’re subtle, homely, and great for evenings in watching a film with your flatmates. You can get some cheap, plain fairy lights for less than £5 online, and hanging them up only requires some washi tape or some 3M hooks – both easily removable.

Think stickers, washi tape (again), fabric, and spray/poster paint. Once decorated, these boxes can slide under your bed, or be stacked in a corner. More tips here.

Slogan cushions or those with a colourful or quirky design can bring a bed area to life. These Harry Potter-inspired wonders can be found online here, but Etsy also has a diverse selection for any student room.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll have brought way too many clothes to uni with you, not to mention shoes, accessories – and more shoes. But who can bear to part with those heels you wore once (at prom), when you can just jazz up some plain storage boxes and save space elsewhere?

When everyone’s room looks like it’s been churned out on a factory conveyor belt, one of the best ways to show off your personality is how you decorate your university room.

These aren’t that expensive, and easy to pick up in charity shops too. However, if you’re feeling ambitious (and skint), find out how to make your own vibrant floor piece from old T-shirts.

There’s not much to this trick, we’ll admit, but adding a few plants here and there is an easy way to bring life to a room. They also come with a surprising array of health benefits, like making the air cleaner and helping you study better (seriously!). Aloe vera, jade plants and rubber trees are all really easy to care for, or you could start with a few of these.

Your room is where you go to chill out and unwind after a busy day of lectures, so you should make sure it’s as cosy and comfortable as possible! Extra cushions, pillows, throws, and blankets on your bed will make your room seem all the more inviting.

Not only can the tape be used to ‘frame’ pictures, posters, and memories, it can also work to jazz up bookshelves, doors, and basically anything that needs a geometric injection of colour.

Use an upside down bin! Obviously I don’t mean a grubby kitchen bin, but a nice wire waste-paper basket, or something similar – check back at home and see if your family can spare any for your bed-side needs, or the various high street home stores near you will have something cheap and easy to convert into a surface.

Yet, whiteboards can be pricey – and bulky. So instead, pick up an old picture frame from a charity shop, throw a sheet of white paper under the glass layer – et voilà!

There is no reason why storage options can’t be attractive too. Take this jewellery board for example, which is a simple way of keeping track of necklaces and making use of space in a room. These can be attached on the inside of wardrobe doors if you wish to keep a minimalistic look for your bedroom.

Sadly though, most university halls won’t allow candles, so if you want to use those ornate holders you got for your birthday, instead opt for electric tea lights.

Soft, gentle lighting is key if you want to feel completely chilled in your room. Unfortunately, you probably won’t be able to control the main lighting, but you can make your room look super-mellow with a small lamp, or a string of fairy lights hung over your mirror.

Finally, switch that uni chair/desk/bedside table from drab to fab (yes, I went there) with some strategically draped fabric. If you’ve got cushion projects, use them to create a nicely themed room. If not, use an old scarf, pillow case, shirt, or blanket to spruce up your boring and uniform furniture.

Tired of how your room looks? Learn how to decorate your student room with our top tips:

Simple measures can transform your storage space to make it look organised and attractive. Take these dividers, for example, which can quickly jazz up an underwear or sock drawer in seconds.

It’s no secret students have a lot to remember, what with all the essay deadlines, exam dates and lunches with friends. You could cover every inch of your room with post-it notes, but a much better (and tidier) solution is creating your own deadline board. Our favourite is this one, because it’s a really simple design using a cork board and some string. Alternatively you can even use an old tray.

If you want to frame your photos but you’d rather not splash the cash, try washi tape. This bright, colourful tape can be added to the edges of your pics and it will look like you’ve spent loads of cash buying awesome frames but cost just a fraction of the price! What’s more, little things like this will help you to combat homesickness, and just feel way happier and more settled at uni!

You’ve got your phone, your tablet and your laptop… all of these things need to be regularly charged. With so many wires it’s easy for your favourite electronics to pile up and begin to look unsightly. But we’ve got a fix for this, too: make your own charging station! You’ll be surprised how quickly things look tidier without all the wires.

If your walls are looking a little bare, you’ll wanna add a splash of colour or hang up some amazing art. But what if you just don’t have the cash to make your bedroom look swish? We’ve come up with some ace ideas so you can decorate your student room on a budget.

Anything can be transformed to hold your belongings if you get creative. Even a small stepladder can become a cute storage feature with a bit of love and attention. If your bookshelf has a plain back panel, you can personalise it by adding photos into the empty spaces behind your books. That way, you’ll have all of your friends there (in spirit, at least) to support you through your next essay deadline.

You will probably be spending at least some of your year working away at your desk, so why not make it a place you actually want to sit at. Spruce up the area with colourful lanterns, photos or plants. If you wish to attach items to the wall, try UHU’s white tack, which is great as it doesn’t leave stains.

Add a splash of colour to walls like interior designer Paigebrowndesigns did on this dorm room. She attached this dreamy, blue tapestry to the wall using double sided tape – an easy decorating solution if you are not allowed to make holes in walls.

Head to your local high street home stores for cheap blankets and cushions that will liven up your room with both colour and comfort. If you don’t see any designs you like, just use the cheap interior fluff and fashion yourself a cover out of some old fabric/T-shirt material. Not only do they look nice, but they’re also practical for when you all decide to crowd into someone’s room – no more sitting on the floor and pretending to be comfy.

If you’re bored of the fittings that came with your room, there’s a really easy way to change things up a bit. Unscrew the old handles on furniture like your chest of drawers, and screw in different ones that you’ve chosen yourself. There are loads of options out there, and you can easily put the old ones back at the end of your tenancy so you won’t get in trouble!

Granted, normal doorstops aren’t expensive, but you can easily add another homemade touch to your room. There are plenty of ways to do so, mostly involving sewing a fabric pouch, which is then filled with rice. But why do you need one?

Everything can be personalised – even plain lampshades! If you poke holes in them, you can project any pattern you want around your room. Word of warning – only do this to lamps you own though or you could face losing your deposit.

This one sounds scary, but hear us out. It turns out you can make temporary wallpaper using nothing more than sheets of fabric and liquid starch. All you have to do is choose your favourite material (the wackier the colour, the better) and then use a sponge roller to stick it up using the starch – you can find the full instructions here. When you’re ready to move out, you can just peel it right off.

If you’re living in a studio apartment, it can be hard to know what to do with the open space. But there’s an easy fix! You can use your furniture to create different ‘zones’. Put a bookcase along the side of your bed and you can create a bedroom area. Set up your desk along the side of the living room to separate it from where you sleep. There are lots of ways to do it (and it’s quite fun thinking of them), so check out Houzz for some inspiration.